


Two Men Worth Saving

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Knight-in-Shining-Armor, M/M, hero - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 05:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2256768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry saves Malfoy’s arse yet again, and of course the git is still being a brat.  But sometimes the hero of the wizarding world proves to need saving of his own sometimes, and Draco just might be willing to play knight in shining armor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Men Worth Saving

Harry Potter was quite content strolling along Diagon Alley, peaking through shop windows in hope of finding a decent gift for Hermione. It would be her birthday in a week’s time, and he wanted to find something nice.

The Weasley’s were throwing her a surprise party at The Burrow, and he promised to Ron that he’d definitely be there. Working as an Auror gave Harry little time to himself, so he rarely spent as much time with his best friends as he used to.

After the War five years ago, nothing seemed to fall in place how he thought it would. He and Ginny had gotten back together, but it wasn’t how he’d imagined the reunion would be after surviving Voldemort. Though at the time he hadn’t given it much thought, since apparently he wasn’t supposed to survive anyway.

He had decided to go back to Hogwarts with a few others for another year, finish his NEWTs and move on from there. And that’s what he did. But he and Ginny hadn’t seemed to click as well as they had before, and their relationship had been on and off ever since. Working as an Auror hadn’t exactly been all he’d thought it’d be. He still hadn’t gotten the family he would’ve hoped to have if he did survive the War, and the Golden Trio just didn’t seem to be as close as Harry thought they always would be.

That was why he was going to make the most of the trip to The Burrow next week, and make sure what he did get for Hermione was meaningful and something to make up for their disconnection.

Harry was pulled from his reverie when a slender body hit him in the side with full force. He stumbled, trying to gain his footing while grasping onto a slim waist to keep them both from tumbling over.

“Are you alri-“ Harry had begun to ask the stranger who had toppled into him, when his emerald green eyes met steely grey.

“Of course it’d be _you_ I would run into, Potter,” came the familiar snarl of Draco Malfoy. He looked different from the last time Harry had seen him over four years ago.

Draco’s white-blonde hair was past his ears; tangled and matted with dirt, unlike anything Harry thought a Malfoy would go into public looking like. He wore untidy and too small robes along with trousers that seemed to have seen better days. Draco’s cheeks were flushed and he was panting as if he had just run six miles. And to make matters even more bizarre, no shoes had covered his feet.

“Malfoy? What happened to you?” Harry couldn’t help but ponder, his curiosity getting the best of him when he really oughtn’t care and move on with his journey.

“What’s it to you, _Potter_? Is the almighty _Savior_ here to rescue me? Or maybe you’d like to know so you can humiliate farther than I already am,” he hissed, hard grey eyes darting up and down his person as if waiting for an attack.

“No, actually. I was just wondering if I could help,” Harry lied easily. “But suit yourself.” With that, Harry turned on his heel and made to start walking away. Really, he had no time for this. He had tons of unfinished paperwork at home that were due the very next morning and he stilled hadn’t found a present for Hermione.

He hadn’t made it far before hollering and thundering footsteps could be heard from the entrance into Knockturn Alley and Draco was calling to him. “Potter!” Harry turned slowly, raising an eyebrow in question. “Can you…” Draco looked like he was having a difficult time getting the words out of his mouth. _“Will you please help me?”_ he finally managed out past clenched teeth.

Harry pretended to ponder for a moment, amused at the situation. Draco must’ve been extremely desperate if he was asking _Harry Potter_ for help. “Oh, I suppose.” Harry didn’t even wait for a reply as he swept back towards Draco, grabbed his upper arm and Disapparated on the spot.

They appeared a second later in the living room of Harry’s rented apartment. It wasn’t anything fancy, with pale green walls and beige carpeting. A TV was placed on top of an electric fireplace, with a mahogany table in front of it. A white sofa and matching recliner surrounded it.

Harry was admittedly very curious about what the former Death Eater had gotten himself into. He was very obviously running away from someone when they had collided in Diagon Alley. What had shaken Malfoy enough to have to ask for help from his school rival?

Draco shrugged out of Harry’s grasp, and turned to look around the place, a sneer distinctly at work on his lips. “Well, it’s not awful,” he jeered.

Harry bristled. Had he not just saved the git’s arse? _Again?_ Did he really see the need to be a total brat? They weren’t teenagers anymore, for crying out loud! “Thank you, Malfoy, I do appreciate your approval,” he said snidely, before continuing. “However, that’s not why I brought you here.”

“Yes, why _did_ you bring me here?” Draco asked flatly. “I’d assumed you’d leave me on some random street corner to fend for myself.”

“I’m beginning to think that would’ve been a better idea,” Harry said irritably. Was it really that difficult to say a simple _thank you_? Apparently for Malfoy it was.

Draco merely rolled his eyes, causing Harry’s teeth to clench. He started making his way to the entryway that led to the kitchen, not bothered whatsoever that this wasn’t his house.

Harry hurried after him, not trusting him not to make a disaster purely out of spite. He leaned against the wall, watching as Draco made himself comfortable before speaking. “So what was that back there, anyway?” he asked.

“Why do you care?” he demanded haughtily in return, as if Harry had just insulted him in a despicable way.

“I think I’ve got the right to know why exactly I brought you _willingly_ to my apartment, don’t you agree?”

The thing was, Draco more-than-likely _didn’t_ agree. But Harry simply didn’t care. He wanted to know, and Draco was going to tell him or he might just have to throw him back to the wolves. Harry didn’t want to risk anything if Draco proved to be threatening.

Draco glared through slits at him, probably restraining himself from throttling the Chosen One. Many people would be quite angry with him if he injured their precious _Savior_. “If you’d really like to know-“

“I would,” Harry interrupted, smirking slightly. Draco glared even harder, if that was possible, and Harry found himself highly amused.

“A couple of idiots I ran into in Knockturn Alley have it in their heads that I stole something from them. They’re convinced I took it; a couple of madmen I tell you,” Draco told him after a moment, staring at his bare feet. By the looks of it, it wouldn’t be totally preposterous that Draco would need to steal something to gain some extra Galleons. The Malfoys didn’t exactly get off easy after the War. Harry tried to lessen their sentences as much as possible, considering they might’ve saved his life once or twice, but they still hadn’t recovered from it all.

Draco’s father, Lucius Malfoy was sent to Azkaban to live out a ten-year sentence, and his wife Narcissa was stolen of the Malfoy Manor and their riches, forced to live on the streets with her son while they looked for jobs that could find them a decent home and pay off their bills.

Still, it was strange seeing Malfoy like this. Very unbecoming.

“Oh c’mon Malfoy. There’s got to be more than that! You were practically shaking when I was looking at you. You were scared!” Harry insisted, knowing there was more to the story than what Draco was letting on.

“I was not scared!” Draco growled, but Harry could tell by those hardened grey eyes the truth of the matter.

Harry looked at him pointedly. “Fine. I may have stolen a pendant that they’d insisted had been part of the family for centuries. Happy?” Draco spat, before he started messing with a loose strand on his trousers.

Harry studied the man that he hadn’t seen for more than four years, noticing all the changes the years had brought with them. Draco was no longer the same boy from their school years. He may still be a conceited brat, but his words didn’t hold the same bite as they used to.

“No, I’m not _happy_ , Malfoy. Why did you steal it? What was the point? Don’t you have enough on your plate as it is?” Harry inquired. He might not like him, but he could tell when someone was suffering. Draco needed a hand, even though he’d never admit it, and Harry was willing to give his. He was tired of their banter and ready to move on.

“Mother’s sick!” Draco blurted, breathing hard. “She’s dying and she needs medicine, but I can’t give it to her because we don’t have enough money to pay for it,” Draco looked to be on the verge of blowing up. “I’m _trying_ Potter, but it’s not enough as it was when we both worked. She can’t work anymore, and I’m working two, but someone’s also got to look after her and I can’t do every-“

“Draco, calm down!” Harry was by his side in a matter of moments, kneeling by where he sat on a kitchen chair, while rubbing his back and murmuring soothing words. Draco had his head in his hands, and was shaking. Harry didn’t know where the first name had come from. It had just spilled from his lips like it was something natural. It was weird on his tongue, but he found he could live with it.

✩☪✩

Harry still wasn’t positive as to why he did it, but he talked to his two best friends at The Burrow for Hermione’s birthday party, and while Ron was skeptical, Hermione thought it was a wonderful thing to do.

That’s why Narcissa and Draco Malfoy were moving in a week later. He’d had two extra rooms he never used, and plenty of Galleons left over from both working as an Auror and from what his parents had left for him.

He’d paid for Narcissa’s medicine, bought them both new clothes and made sure they were as comfortable as possible for the time being.

He would most likely end up buying them a new home, which at the end of the day he was pretty okay with.

With the new arrangement also came less Ginny, which he was rather relieved for though he felt terribly guilty admitting it. He realized by this stage that they were just not meant to be, and was quite happy and maybe a little excited to move on with someone else. He never would’ve imagined that person being Draco Malfoy, nonetheless.

✩☪✩

“I still can hardly believe you’ve done all this for us, Potter,” Draco stated at the kitchen table one morning while he and Harry were enjoying breakfast together.

“I told you Draco, I’m tired of us fighting all the time. Seemed like a perfect opportunity to start changing our relationship,” Harry replied. He’d gotten used to calling Draco by his first name. He insisted he be called Harry in return, but he supposed they just weren’t quite there yet. “We _could_ be friends, you know.”

Draco scrunched up his nose at the idea. “I don’t think we’ve come _that_ far yet, Potter.”

✩☪✩

Harry Apparated into the living room with a loud _pop_ , before storming into the kitchen. He didn’t even notice Draco as he ranted about his terrible day, slamming his jacket onto the table and kicking at a dining chair’s leg, as if it were the chair’s fault his day had been full of misfortunes.

“I see someone’s had a bad day,” Draco drawled, taking a sip of tea from the mug he’d been holding when Harry had surprised him by barging into the kitchen.

“Oh, _shut up_ , will you, Malfoy?” Harry demanded, exasperated and a bit embarrassed that he’d put on such a show without knowing Draco was standing right there watching the whole thing.

Draco knew immediately that something was wrong. Harry had never called him Malfoy, not since he’d got there. Not even when they were bickering. Harry had insisted that they mature and act their own age, which Draco hadn’t really gotten to, yet.

Draco set his mug down and made his way over to where Harry had collapsed into a chair, face hidden by his hands. “What is it, Potter? You can tell me,” Draco replied, though he knew he didn’t sound as sincere as he felt. It was incredibly difficult, honestly, to try and comfort a former enemy. But he supposed it was the least he could do, considering what Harry had done for him and his mother.

“Just go away, Draco,” Harry grumbled, slumping further in his chair and while trying to regain control.

It was difficult, but Draco forced himself to kneel, gently patting Harry’s back. “Oh, c’mon… _Harry._ Please?”

Harry looked up at him in surprise, emerald eyes swimming with unshed tears. He looked ashamed at breaking down so suddenly, and in front of Draco no less. Draco found himself disbelievingly wanting to comfort The-Boy-Who-Lived. Even the wizarding world’s hero needed a knight in shining armor to save him sometimes.

Draco stared into those green pools and, without much forethought, leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Harry’s. He heard him gasp softly and felt as hot, salty tears brushed his cheeks. Draco tentatively reached his hands up to cup Harry’s face, lightly brushing away the tears with the pads of his thumbs.

He pulled back after a moment, and Harry seemed to snap out of his trance. “W-What was that for?” he asked quietly, and Draco stared openly, enjoying the sight of swollen lips and flushed cheeks.

“I was hoping it’d help calm you down. Seems like it worked,” Draco smiled genuinely, and was relieved to see Harry smile back and duck his head, trying to hide the obvious pink color that had risen to his ears. “Want to talk about what happened?”

Harry stared into warm grey eyes and seemed to trust what he saw there. “Okay…”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> This is my first story on here, and first ever fanfiction of Draco/Harry. I know it might not be the best, but I'm working on it and I hope you at least enjoyed it a little bit. Thank you so much for reading, and Kudos and Comments are much appreciated!


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